Load tracking and stabilization

1. A method for controlling movement of a suspension member such as a rope, cable, sling, net or the like, said suspension member connected at one end to a load lifting and transporting apparatus and having an opposite end configured to connect to and carry a load, said method comprising: providing a suspension member beacon generally at said opposite end of said suspension member, providing a beacon location sensor on said load lifting and transporting apparatus, using said beacon location sensor to observe said suspension member beacon and detect location of said suspension member beacon in a field of view of said beacon location sensor, using an electronic processor, calculating a difference in location between an instant location of said suspension member beacon in said field of view of said beacon location sensor and a desired location of said suspension member beacon in said field of view of said beacon location sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said calculating a difference in location further comprises aligning said field of view of said beacon location sensor to at least one axis of movement of said load lifting and transporting apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing electrical signals from said electronic processor responsive to said calculating a difference in location, said electrical signals indicative of swinging motions of said suspension member.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising using said electrical signals to dampen said swinging motions of said suspension member.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said using said electrical signals to dampen said swinging motions of said suspension member further comprises using said electrical signals to generate control signals, and using said control signals to automatically control movement of said load lifting and transporting apparatus in order to automatically dampen said swinging motions of said suspension member.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising orienting a field of view of said beacon location sensor so that said suspension member beacon is in a center of said field of view when said suspension member is hanging vertically from said load lifting and transporting apparatus.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said providing electrical signals from said electronic processor further comprises calculating direction and extent of said swinging motions, and further comprises: determining a length of excursions of said suspension member beacon from said center of said field of view of said beacon location sensor, from said length of said excursions, calculating a first angle of said suspension member representative of extent of swing of said suspension member, determining locations of said excursions relative to said at least one axis of movement of said load lifting and transporting apparatus, from said locations of said excursions relative to said one axis of movement, calculating a second angle representative of direction of said swing of said suspension member, calculating error signals representative of said extent of swing and said direction of swing of said suspension member relative to said center of said field of view of said beacon location sensor.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising developing control signals from said error signals and providing said control signals to said load lifting and transporting apparatus, for automatically moving said load lifting and transporting apparatus in directions to dampen said swinging motions of said suspension member.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising: using an image capture device having pixels as said beacon location sensor, said pixels arranged in a coordinate system, referencing at least one axis of said coordinate system of pixels to said at least one axis of movement of said load lifting and transporting apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: providing at least one reference length on said beacon, using said beacon location sensor to detect said at least one reference length.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining extent of said swinging motions by comparing a number of said pixels in said swinging motions with a number of said detection pixels in said known reference length.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising determining direction of said swinging motions of said suspension member with respect to said at least one axis of movement of said load lifting and transporting apparatus, and generating electrical signals representative of said extent of said swinging motions and said direction of said swinging motions.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising using said electrical signals representative of said extent of said swinging motions and said direction of said swinging motions to develop control signals, for automatically dampening said swinging motions of said suspension member.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a plurality of lights on said suspension member beacon, said plurality of lights detected by said beacon location sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising mounting said suspension member beacon on an automated grapple at said opposite end of said suspension member, said automated grapple configured for automatically connecting to said load.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising modulating at least one light of said plurality of lights in a predetermined pattern, and detecting said at least one modulated light using said bacon location sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising detecting orientation and position of said load from a detected said modulated at least one of light.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising: using a plurality of lights on at least said suspension member beacon, for locating said suspension member beacon, modulating at least one light of said plurality of lights in a predetermined pattern, detecting a modulated said at least one light of said plurality of lights, from a detected modulated said light, determining both orientation and position of said load.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising: mounting an automatic grapple for automatically connecting to a load at an end of said suspension member, mounting a load-bearing interface to said load for receiving said automatic grapple and engaging therewith, for enabling said load lifting device to lift said load, positioning a load beacon in known relation with said load-bearing interface, using said image capture device to detect locations of both said suspension member beacon and said load beacon, using said electronic processor, generating electrical signals to reduce distance between said automatic grapple and said load bearing interface until said automatic grapple engages said load bearing interface.

20. A method for controlling movement of a suspension member such as a rope, cable, sling, net or the like, said suspension member connected at one end to a moving lifting device and having an opposite end configured to connect to and carry a load, said method comprising: providing a suspension member beacon generally at said opposite end of said suspension member, providing an image capture device on said moving lifting device, using said image capture device to observe said suspension member beacon and detect a location of said suspension member beacon within a field of view of said image capture device, using an electronic processor, calculating deviation of said suspension member beacon from a desired location responsive to a detected location of said suspension member beacon.